Bengal is celebrating the 150th birth anniversary of the great Indian poet, Rabindranath Tagore. He was the first non-European to receive the Nobel Prize, and also the author of 28 voluminous books, more than 2500 songs (that are recited by fishermen and intellectuals alike), a polymath, and he also penned National Anthem of 2 countries, India and Bangladesh. Rabindranath lives in the heart of every Bengali. Celebrations in Bengal have started from the weekend to commemorate this great man on his birthday, 25th Baisakh (25th day of the first month of the Bengali calendar). Jorasako Thakur bari, the birth place of Gurudev is decked up with flowers and there are programs organized throughout the day. Have a glimse of it in the video below.
Celebrating tagore 150th Birth Anniversary
We are also here to celebrate another joy; Cook Like a Bong Facebook Page has just crossed 4000 likes making it one of the largest Bengali community in Facebook. Thanks to all our readers for making our effort such a huge success. We would love to hear more feedbacks and comments from you.
Here’s to our celebration, a simple tea time cake.
Ingredients:
· 2 ½ cups of self raising flour
· 2 cup castor sugar
· 3 eggs
· 2 teaspoon baking powder
· ½ cup clarified butter/ vegetable oil
· 1 cup tutti fruitti, raisins
· 2 teaspoon vanilla essence
Preparation:
· Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F or gas mark 4).
· Sift the self raising flour and the baking powder together
· Break the eggs in a large bowl and beat with an electric beater, at medium speed at first and then at high speed for 3-4mins
· Pour in the clarified butter and sugar together in a bowl and beat with an electric beater till it becomes light and fluffy
· Mix the eggs and sugar mixture together and beat again for a couple of minutes
· Add the flour gradually to the beaten mixture, and fold in
· Sprinkle about two teaspoon of flour in the tutti frutti and coat them. Add these to the cake batter, keep aside about ¼ cup of tutti frutti
· Grease a rectangular oven safe pan with butter or oil and pour in the cake mixture
· Put in the left tutti frutti over the cake batter
· Bake in the preheated oven for 30-45 mins or till a knife inserted in the cake comes out clean
· Keep aside for 30mins to cool on a wire rack
· Serve with tea or coffee
Hot Tips – If you are using maida instead of self raising flour, then beat the cake batter just before putting in the tutti frutti at least for 4-5mins, else the cake will not become spongy
Great way to celebrate Tagore’s bday!
Is there any ingredients to replace egg here? My hubby can’t take egg due to allergen problem.
Thks
There are egg replacements that you get in the market. It comes as powder and use as directed in place of the market. Or else you can use fresh cream about 2 tablespoons. But then the cake doesn’t become so much spongy. Beat the fresh cream before adding it to the batter.
Could you please explain what tutti frutti is. thanks
Tutti frutti are sold in the market by the same name, its kind of marsmellows but not so spongy. Comes in different colors, and looks like mosaic when you put in cakes or ice creams.